


A Captain & Her Chef

by littleredbean



Category: Day6 (Band), GOT7, NCT (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band), TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Drunken Confessions, Eventual Romance, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, Mentioned Park Jinyoung (GOT7), Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-07-31 08:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20112037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleredbean/pseuds/littleredbean
Summary: Jeongyeon has been a chef on Mina's ship for six months, being a relatively new addition to the team.Mina knows she shouldn't really care as the captain, but she can't help but wish that the timid chef stayed a little longer when delivering dinner.





	1. Please, Call Me Mina

Taking her hat off her head, she ran the feather between her forefinger and thumb as she stared through the porthole. The sea was a deep blue and the sun was setting to the east as the ship moved in the same direction. She could see the outline of the clouds in front of her and she let out a sigh as she fiddled with the hem of her hat.

Another day of feeling the burden of being the captain. She questioned at the time why her father decided to leave the ship to _ her _when he died and not one of her three brothers, but he had said into her ear when she was visiting him alone on his deathbed that while she was the youngest, she was the most trustworthy.

In the world of piracy, a woman being a captain was unheard of, and often looked down upon. When Mina took over as the leader, the members of the crew were shocked, and initially didn’t care to listen to her. Gradually, the brunette made sure she gained their respect, by reminding them who her father was and the fact that _ she _was chosen for the job.

It wasn’t like her to act in that way, but it was the only way she was going to be taken seriously as a leader; thankfully, her plan was successful.

Evening drew nearer as she stepped away from the porthole and heard a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she called out with not much energy as she sat on the end of her bed, placing her hat beside her.

The door opened to reveal a tall woman with long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, carrying a tray in her hand with a cup of wine and a bowl of soup on it.

Mina turned her head to the right to view the woman, and she immediately stood up to help her.

“Hi, Jeongyeon,” the captain greeted her with an amiable smile. The blonde in question glanced up through her lashes and returned the grin before saying a shy _ thank you _and entering the room.

Jeongyeon became a cook on the ship six months prior, and was trained for two weeks before the brunette decided to give her a special job of delivering dinner to Mina’s room every evening. She never missed a single dinner, and was always punctual when it came to bringing food to the captain’s room.

When Jeongyeon was given the job, she was so taken aback that she thought she wouldn’t be able to do it, but Mina insisted that she was capable.

The one bit of information that the captain _ didn’t _mention, however, was that she loved to see Jeongyeon more often. And that sentiment never changed.

The blonde placed the tray on Mina's desk opposite her bed and turned to face her.

"Will you need anything else?"

Their eyes met for a brief second before Jeongyeon averted her gaze and looked at the floor, shuffling her feet.

Mina didn't know why, but over the past six months, she had developed a soft spot for the chef. Her cooking skills were amazing, and she seemed to be so smart, smarter than a low-paying job hauling pots and pans in a dirty kitchen. Jeongyeon intrigued her, and she was incredibly mysterious.

It also didn't help that Mina was attracted to her.

Jeongyeon didn't think so, but to the brunette, she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. There had been many times over the previous six months where Mina had wanted to ask Jeongyeon to stay a while longer, join her for a cup of wine, or say _screw it,_ _have dinner with me,_ but her role as the leader made this something that would be forbidden.

A captain falling in love with her chef?

Very rare, and not something people would respect.

But she was willing to risk it all for the woman standing in front of her.

"Um...ma'am? Will that be all?"

_ 'Please, Jeongyeon…' _

"Jeongyeon...you know I've said it hundreds of times. Call me Mina."

The blonde woman's cheeks turned crimson as they always did whenever the brunette said this. They looked at one another, and for a split second, Mina had a glimpse of hope that Jeongyeon was _ maybe, _ just _ maybe _considering it.

But her next words proved her wrong once again.

"I'm really sorry, ma'am, I just can't do that."

Mina's eyes fluttered shut for a brief second before opening again to witness Jeongyeon quickly pass her and move towards the door. Hastily, the brunette spun round and followed her. The blonde halted.

"If that is all, _ ma'am, _ may I go?" The emphasis on _ ma'am _pushed a knife right through Mina's heart, bleeding the same colour as Jeongyeon's cheeks.

"Y-Yes…" the brunette replied, her pulse having accelerated. The chef nodded and quickly turned to bow before leaving the room. Mina let out a sigh as she returned to sit on the side of her bed. She turned her head to the left to see the steam emanating from the chicken soup that Jeongyeon had made, the finest chicken soup that Mina had ever eaten. Huffing, she reached for the cup of wine and drank it all in one go, staring at the bottom of the cup when she did so.

Meanwhile, outside the room, Jeongyeon had her back pressed against the wall beside the bedroom door. She wiped her forehead then her clothes with the back of her hand before feeling her face with her palms.

Flustered, she leaned her head back against the wall and her arms dropped.

The truth was, she wanted nothing more than to have the_ courage _ to call her boss by her first name, but her insecurities over whether she was _ truly _ allowed got in the way.

_ 'Also, she doesn't know that if I actually called her by her first name, my heart would explode. Just to have that privilege of calling her Mina…' _

The brunette's name was only ever something she said in her head, where it sounded beautiful, like a dancer completing a pirouette before gracefully moving into their ending pose.

Coming from her mouth, however, Jeongyeon imagined it would be ruined, soiled, like a stained pot after not being cleaned for days.

Jeongyeon knew she had no business calling the captain by her first name, and if it was ever discovered by the people around her that she _ did _have that privilege, it would fall hard on Mina's shoulders. And she couldn't have that.

She didn't care what happened to her, she just wanted to protect the captain as best as she could. Meaning she was to not call her _ Mina. _

_ 'But God...in an ideal world…' _

She pushed herself away from the wall and sauntered back to the kitchen. Pushing the door open, she saw Nayeon, one of the other crew members and her only friend on board, rooting around looking for something to eat.

The ship was predominantly filled with men, with there only being a handful of women. Nayeon was one of them, and she was the poorest person on board, taken in from another shipwreck when she was the only survivor. It was a gradual and quite frankly rocky start to her being a crew member, but Mina eventually gave her a cleaning job, mopping the deck whenever it needed it.

When the blonde walked in, she saw that the redhead picked up an apple and immediately said, "Don't eat that! Turn it over, the rats have had that."

The redhead did so and instantly dropped it, grimacing.

"Where have you been then?" she asked, hands on hips, continuing her search.

"Doing what I do every night, delivering dinner to the captain."

Nayeon was the only one who knew about how the blonde felt, and it was by total accident too. Jeongyeon once kept a diary of her experiences and one night, the redhead felt a little nosy and decided to take a peek inside.

The blonde still wishes she burned the diary.

Nayeon raised an eyebrow at her, "And let me guess, she asked you to call her by her first name again?"

It fascinated Jeongyeon that the captain's first name was so sacred, that the members of the crew didn't even say it when they weren't in her presence.

The blonde felt her cheeks warming up again, "Y-Yeah...she did...God knows why."

Nayeon then turned around to face her with both eyebrows raised before she asked, "Are you dumb or what?" She started chuckling, though Jeongyeon didn't find the question very funny. "She obviously likes you, idiot," Nayeon stated before turning her back to look through a cupboard.

It took a split second to register before the blonde scoffed, "Are you crazy? It's absurd to even _ think _such a thing. I'm a goddamn chef. Pretty much the lowest of the low. And besides she's probably..."

"Not attracted to women? Yet she picked _ you _to deliver her meals to her every night," Nayeon responded, craning her head back so she could just see the top of Jeongyeon's forehead.

The blonde thought about it for less than a few seconds before completely pushing it aside, "No, no, it's not possible… She told me before, she just thinks I'm capable of doing the job."

Nayeon brought her head down then spun around to face Jeongyeon; she walked up to the blonde and grabbed her hands.

"Listen, Jeong. She gave _ you _ the task, she apparently is giving you the privilege of calling her by her name every time you visit her…"

"But what you're thinking is _ insane! _ There's no _ way _she could like me!" A short pause, accompanied by Jeongyeon looking off into the distance, forlorn. "Why would she?"

The redhead simply sighed before letting go of the younger woman's hands and moving away.

Jeongyeon folded her arms. "I'll never be able to realise my feelings for her, so there's no point in trying."

The sentiment was concrete in her mind, even though she had once thought of something incredibly out of the box: _ kissing _her.

And what she didn't know was on the other side of the door, before she returned to her room, there was a curious Mina, who shared that same thought and so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @littleredbean37


	2. Close Proximity

The sun shone in the cloudless sky as day one of their voyage became day two. Mina pushed her duvet cover back and got out of bed, a loud yawn escaping her lips. She moved to stand in front of the partially cracked and stained mirror at the far end of her room, the sunlight beaming through the three portholes.

As Mina ran a hand through her hair and brushed down her knee-length nightgown, there was a knock at the door. "Enter."

Mina stepped away from the mirror and the dark-haired male slowly opened the door. They eyed each other and the brunette said, "What can I do for you?"

The male at the door stood with his back straight and pronounced that her meeting with the crew members was soon. The brunette exhaled and thanked Taeil for the news, "Tell them I'll be out soon." He nodded then bid her goodbye before bowing and exiting the room, shutting the door behind him.

Mina turned her back on the door and walked towards her closet. She yawned once more. If only coffee wasn't such a luxury.

\--

“So, the plan is, when we reach the shore, we move in from this angle and split up into our two different groups, myself leading one group, Taeil leading the other, do you remember the groups everyone?” A chorus of  _ yes  _ filled the room before Mina continued, “So, we’re in our groups, we move in, take down the thieves and bring the stolen cargo back onto our ship and move out immediately. The sooner we return it, the better.”

There were murmurs of understanding and agreement among the crowd as they took in the information. While it wasn’t outrageous, it  _ was _ uncommon for a pirate to bring stolen cargo back to its original owner instead of steal the cargo itself.

Mina was different as a captain in that regard, her father being much the same. He didn’t believe in taking anything from anyone, and was always someone who tried his hardest, whether it was successful or not, to return to someone what was rightfully theirs, and Mina always tried her best to follow in his footsteps.

There were some failures along the way, but the brunette never ceased her attempts to take down those who looted and killed in cold blood for the goods, and she never lifted a sword herself, which to some people was her downfall. She always wanted to bring them to justice instead.

Once she made sure that everyone understood, she dismissed the crew before adjusting the hat on her head. As they left the room, Mina spotted Jeongyeon at the back, being one of the last people to leave. She was about to call out to her so she could speak to the blonde, but was interrupted by her curious first mate.

“Mina? When do you think we’ll reach the shore of the island?”

The younger woman placed a hand on her hip, biting the inside of her cheek, “Three days. Hopefully.” They met each other’s gaze as the older male nodded in response.

“Do you think we’ll have enough to last the whole journey? I mean, that’s nine days.”

Mina clicked her tongue once, mulling over the question as she considered her options. She didn’t think there would be much on the island once they got there, with it being quite small and having not much civilisation.

“Tell Jinyoung to check our stock; we should have enough to last us, if we do a better job of rationing this time than  _ last  _ time, but if we really don’t have enough even after rations...then we’ll have to change up our plan slightly. Get back to me as soon as possible.”   
Taeil bowed, having digested the information and walked out of the room, leaving Mina to stare down at the map on the table to her left. She rested her hands on the edge of the table and looked more closely at the map, internalising once more the plan she had reiterated to herself multiple times, as she heard a faint cough from afar.

Searching for the source of the noise, she saw the timid chef stand in the open doorway, hands behind her back and eyes fixated on the floor.

The conversation they had last night that they had many times before came back to their minds simultaneously; it seemed so  _ different,  _ nothing like how the conversation would usually go. It felt like it carried a different type of weight, a heavier amount, and it was placed directly on both women’s shoulders, unknowingly to one of them.

When Mina passed by the kitchen the night before, she had only caught the last part of Jeongyeon’s conversation with Nayeon.

_ I’ll never be able to realise my feelings for her, so there’s no point in trying. _

_ ‘Her feelings for me?’  _ Mina had thought when she returned to her room.  _ ‘I wonder what those feelings truly are…’ _

She swallowed the lump in her throat as Jeongyeon began, “Ma’am, I just wanted to let you know,” her voice was quiet, and a little feeble, “that your dinner portion will be slightly smaller tonight. I thought it would be better to try and ration our food sooner so we don’t run out sooner, even though it’s only the second day.” She let out a weak laugh before they met each other’s gaze. Her hands were fidgety behind her back and her hair was in its usual ponytail.

Mina finally registered what she said and replied, “Oh, um, okay, yes, that will be absolutely fine. Good thinking…” Her tone of voice held a bundle of nerves as Jeongyeon inclined her head and promptly left the room, the pink reaching her cheeks faster than she could think.

_ ‘Goddamn it, Jeongyeon. Pull yourself together.’  _ As she walked away she covered her cheeks to mask the redness in them, meanwhile Mina let out a breath that felt like it had been held for hours.

_ ‘Damn it, Mina… Stop this shit and be honest with her.’ _

\--

Evening rolled around a lot quicker than the previous day, as time felt like it was going by way too fast for Jeongyeon’s liking. She turned off the heat on the stove and brought a bowl round to the left side of the pot where the standard chicken soup was residing. Taking out a ladle, she placed two spoonfuls of soup into the bowl, adding a few more vegetables on the side.

“There’s the captain’s portion done! It’s all yours,” Jeongyeon called out to the other chef in the room, Sungjin.

“Cheers, Jeongyeon,” Sungjin replied, lifting up the pot by the handles and taking it over to where the bowls for the crew were.

The blonde woman brought the bowl over to the same tray she always used, and grabbed a cup and a bottle of wine from the shelf. Sungjin briefly stopped and took the cup from Jeongyeon before she filled the cup about halfway. He rested it on the tray before going back to distributing the meal, the blonde closing the bottle of wine and placing it back on the shelf.

She stopped herself for a few seconds, hands on her waist, and tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. Sungjin noticed this, and asked if she was okay. The two weren’t close, and only worked beside each other in the kitchen for an hour or so every night, but that didn’t stop the older male from being concerned at her suddenly still figure.

Jeongyeon blinked a couple of times before spinning around to see how Sungjin’s eyebrows were furrowed.

“Y-Yeah...yeah I’m okay,” she brushed it off and moved to pick up the tray. As she exited the room, Sungjin briefly stopped her.

“I know we’re not close, but I’m here if you need to talk to someone.”

The blonde regarded him with a certain level of surprise; she never considered anyone on the boat a friend other than Nayeon. She thought about his words for a few seconds before saying, “Thanks, um… Me too.” They looked at one another with a small friendly smile on their faces before Jeongyeon left the room, her eyebrows raised in shock at the exchange.

With a final sigh, she began her journey to Mina’s room.

When she approached the room, her knuckles awkwardly collided with the door, and seconds later it opened.

"Hey…" Mina greeted her, seemingly a lot shyer than usual, and she stood out of Jeongyeon's way. The blonde returned the greeting before walking into the room and placing the tray down in the same place as she always did.

"Here you go ma'am, again, I apologise for the smaller portion but...gotta take precautions," Jeongyeon explained, turning to see Mina stood a bit closer.

"Thank you, Jeongyeon…" The brunette stared at her feet.

The blonde gulped and noticed the change in the captain's mood. "Ma'am? Is everything okay?"

Mina glanced up at her through glazed eyes. She wanted to be completely open and honest, but at the same time was so nervous to tell Jeongyeon that she had heard what she had said the night before.

"Uh, yeah…" The brunette feigned a yawn. "I'm just tired, that's all. It's been a bit of a long day." Mina looked off to the side, not being able to meet Jeongyeon's gaze.

The chef felt she had no business in prying, but all of the voyages they have been on where Jeongyeon would deliver dinner to Mina, she has seen every mood that the brunette has been in. She has seen her happy, sad, angry, annoyed, stressed and tired. The blonde could tell that the brunette was not truly tired; there was something clearly weighing her down.

"Ma'am...I never want to intrude but, I just want you to know that…" Jeongyeon stuttered a little as Mina finally looked at her, eyebrows perked, waiting for her to continue. "That…" She tried to say the words, but shook her head eventually. "Never mind…"

"No, wait, tell me," Mina suddenly interjected.

Jeongyeon shook her head again, "No i-it doesn't matter." The blonde began to pass the brunette, but was stopped by a gentle hand on her arm. They turned to face one another. "You can tell me anything," Mina spoke in a quiet voice.

The blonde gulped, her eyes finding the floor. "That was all  _ I  _ was going to say," she looked back up at her, her heart racing, the butterflies in her stomach going  _ insane.  _ "Y-You can...tell me anything...as your chef, of course, I mean… If you ever need to talk about anything, that was all I was…" Jeongyeon immediately regretted ever saying anything.

Mina dropped her hand and smiled gently. "Thank you, Jeongyeon," she said firmly.

They stared at one another intently. Their eyes briefly flickered to each other's lips, one by one. They had never been so close, the opportunity had never been there, there was never even a  _ chance  _ that it could happen, and yet here they both were.

Mina would have at least pressed a kiss to Jeongyeon's forehead, if the blonde hadn't already noticed their close proximity and backed away, coughing nervously.

"Excuse me, ma'am, will that be all?"

Mina was left a little astonished by what had just happened, but inevitably said, "Yes, thank you."

Jeongyeon bowed for what felt like the hundredth time during her life as a chef for the captain before leaving the room, her heartbeat going at a million times a minute.

The brunette breathed out, her face hot. Her dinner was waiting, the same amazing chicken soup and a cup of red wine.

She walked over to her desk and looked out of the window. Slowly, a smirk played on her lips.

She would ask Jeongyeon to stay for dinner before this voyage was over.

And the blonde thought as she blew out the candle to go to bed that she would readily fall into Mina's arms if ever given the chance.

It was only a matter of time. Or days.


	3. A Cup of Wine

"You wanna know what I think? I think she's going to ask you to stay for dinner at some point."

Jeongyeon scoffed at the statement as she lifted a wet rag out from the bucket of water and began wiping the kitchen counters down. Breakfast had not long ago finished, and the blonde was frantic beforehand, running around to try and get food ready before the crew became _ more _angry.

She had overslept after having a dream where she was on the top deck with Mina, and it was just the two of them, and the brunette came to stand beside her and take her hand. Jeongyeon had turned to Mina, and she was pulled close, their lips were nearly touching…

The blonde was so convinced that that dream would never come true.

"Oh come on, Jeong. Did you not see the sideways glances that she kept giving you at breakfast? And you were looking at her too! Your eyes didn't leave each other for long before you were back to staring at one another."

The blonde brushed it aside as she bit the corner of her lips. Her mind went back to the night before. She contemplated telling Nayeon, and had been going back and forth in her mind since she woke up over whether she _ should _tell her.

"Why don't you just bite the bullet and tell her how you feel?"

The blonde could believe that such a suggestion would come from Nayeon, the redhead proposed the same idea in different ways every time she got _ slightly _more annoyed at Jeongyeon's stubbornness.

"Nayeon, last night, we were _ this _close." Jeongyeon turned around to face the redhead and brought her hand up, bringing her forefinger and thumb together until there was little space between them in an effort to tell the older woman what had happened. The redhead blinked in a sudden wave of surprise as she registered the gesture.

_ "That _close, huh? What, did you kiss?" she asked in a playful manner and the blonde opposite kept a straight face, dropping her hand; the redhead looked down in embarrassment. "Sorry…"

"No, we _ didn't _ kiss. But…" Jeongyeon recalled how close her lips were, how, if she had more courage, she would do the unthinkable and maybe just... _ ask _if she could kiss the brunette.

The blonde instantly shook her head.

"But...what?" Nayeon insisted she continue.

"But...we were definitely closer than we've ever been. And honestly, that terrifies me. She seemed down and I was going to tell her that she could tell me anything, as her chef, but I got too nervous to like, I wasn't allowed to say anything like that to her because I'm just that, a chef. And then when I went to pass her, she touched my arm." Nayeon's eyebrows perked up as Jeongyeon kept explaining. "It was such a gentle feeling, foreign but...sweet… And _ so _strange."

The redhead folded her arms as their eyes met, "I can imagine! It's not every day that someone gets that close to the captain," Nayeon teased as she went to grab the broom in order to sweep the top deck. The blonde glared at her before she rolled her eyes.

"In truth, we're not that close. I mean, it's not surprising. We're in two completely different leagues. But during the six months I've been her chef we've never really spoken about much."

"Yet have you noticed that you always call yourself _ her _chef?"

The blonde's eyes flickered, and she stared at the older woman. She had never really thought about it before, it had just become second nature to do it. Technically, she _ was _Mina's chef. Mina was the captain, Jeongyeon worked for her, she delivered the dinner to her every night, so it made sense in many ways. The blonde had never once thought about it meaning anything more than that.

The only time her mind _ ever _drifted to that line of thinking was in her dreams.

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes once again before she got back to cleaning the counters.

"It makes sense I mean...that is technically what I am."

It was now Nayeon's turn to let her eyes travel around the room in disbelief before she sighed, staring at the back of the blonde's head, broom in one hand.

"If you say so, but just remember, there is a difference between the look of admiration, and the look of love." Nayeon exited the kitchen, leaving Jeongyeon to stand with her back straight, the redhead's words circulating in her brain. There was _ no _way in her mind that Mina could be in love with her.

If only there was something more plausible to explain the constant stares between the two of them.

\--

"We're drawing nearer to land, captain! I say we'll hit the shore in two days as planned and by the afternoon!"

Mina stepped forward and took the telescope from the helmsman, Mingyu. She looked through the eyepiece and saw on the horizon the outline of the island they were heading towards.

"Excellent," she began, removing the telescope from her eye and handing it back to Mingyu; she turned to Taeil who was standing behind her, "tell everyone the estimated time of arrival so they can prepare to alight once we reach the shore."

Taeil bowed, saying _ yes, ma'am, _before walking away and back inside the ship. The brunette placed her hands on her hips and sighed. Mingyu noticed and asked if everything was okay almost immediately. He was a more open kind of person, and often spoke to Mina quite informally, despite how unheard of it was to do such a thing.

The brunette was thankful though. Thankful that at least _ one _person on the ship spoke to her more freely. Even her first mate was reluctant to do that. As was her chef.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. Just nervous about the plan, I guess," the brunette stated, turning to view the helmsman. Mingyu tilted his head and gave her a sympathetic look. Mina noticed this, "I just don't want it to fail. We've had a few of _ those _in the past…"

"Trust me, captain, this plan won't fail. I can feel it," the dark-haired male smiled at her.

The brunette smiled back at him, "Thanks, Mingyu. Keep working hard, you know where I am if you have any questions." The male gave a tiny salute before turning back to the steering wheel as Mina walked away.

As she entered the ship, she passed by several members of her crew who were doing their jobs, and she smiled at all of them. Glancing forward, she saw her.

Jeongyeon was approaching her, and Mina felt her heart flutter. _ 'Why do I feel so nervous in front of her?' _

The blonde met Mina's eyes and immediately diverted her attention. The brunette tried to find her gaze, and their eyes met once again as they stepped closer to one another.

"Hey…" Mina caught Jeongyeon off guard and the blonde stopped in her tracks. She brushed herself down.

"Oh, hey…"

"How are you?" the brunette asked softly.

"Um...I'm good...y-yourself?"

_ 'Am I really having a proper conversation with the captain? A conversation that is more than just me asking if she needs anything else after I deliver dinner?' _

"I'm doing well. We're not too far away from the island, I reckon we're going to arrive there in two days."

Jeongyeon nodded along with the explanation, folding her arms across her chest awkwardly as she bit her bottom lip.

"Well... that's not too bad." They both nodded as they stared down at the floor. Mina became incredibly shy as the crew members nearby looked towards them with curious expressions on their faces. As the brunette continued to look at her feet, Jeongyeon glanced up at her through her lashes.

_ 'She's so beautiful…gosh…' _

The blonde coughed at her thought, causing Mina to look up. They stared at one another, and Jeongyeon saw something in her eyes that she couldn't quite explain. Mina saw nothing but nervousness in the blonde's eyes. She wished she could hug her close, tell her how she feels…

"I should probably go," Jeongyeon suddenly blurted out. Mina bit the inside of her lip.

"Um, okay...yeah, I should probably go to the cabin. Make sure everything is perfect." Jeongyeon nodded and they stared at one another, the two of them figuring out who should walk away first. Something so trivial, made ten times harder by the awkward atmosphere between them. They eventually began sauntering past one another, and knocked shoulders as they did, chuckling and apologising.

They gave each other one final look before they bid one another goodbye and walked away, their hearts beating, the speed of their pulses fast.

\--

"You have literally _ zero _ spine. Did you know that? I'm guessing you do because every time you're in front of her you go into a meltdown and you have no idea what to do and it all seems so crazy and every time you look at her it _ seems _ as if there's something more, you're just so afraid of finding out because talking to her more than the odd _ hello _ and _ is that all, ma'am? _ is _ way _too hard for you so you curl up into a ball-"

Jeongyeon was cut off from talking to herself by the sound of the door opening. Sungjin appeared and immediately saw the blonde's pale face. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Jeongyeon tried to push aside the fact that she had spent the last five minutes talking to herself with the much more feasible explanation of _ yeah, I thought I saw one but it was just my imagination. _

Sungjin replied, "You should always be careful of that. Never leave a ghost sighting unrecorded."

The blonde shook her head, "As I said, it was just my mind playing tricks on me." The male opposite looked at her with a raised eyebrow, the younger woman coughing nervously and turning back to the stove where the same pot of chicken soup she stared at every night was.

The conversation with herself continued in her mind. She shut her eyes tight to try and block it out, but it was overpowering.

_ 'God, all of this because you have no courage.' _

Jeongyeon internally scolded herself, but she knew she would rather be safe than sorry.

Meanwhile, Mina was in her room, waiting for Jeongyeon to arrive. Over the last few voyages, being delivered dinner became less about food and more about trying to tell the chef bringing it how she felt.

The brunette removed her hat and placed it on the bed. She moved to stare out of the porthole.

A little while later, there was the familiar knock at the door.

Opening the door, there was a flustered Jeongyeon who breathed out and apologised profusely for the dinner arriving later. It was the first time she hadn't been punctual, and the blonde instantly thought she'd be reprimanded.

"It's okay, Jeongyeon, honestly. Come in," Mina reassured her before inviting her in.

The blonde was left bewildered at how Mina seemed to not care that the person who was always on time every night wasn't on time this night. She decided not to dwell too much and she placed the tray on the desk where she always left it.

Jeongyeon was timid and nervous about even turning to face the captain to ask her much repeated question. But she did so anyway, as was her duty.

"Will that be all, ma'am?"

Suddenly, Mina grew frustrated. She hated hearing this question because she knew that she would always shyly look to the floor, glance back up, and tell the chef that she was in love with, _ yes, that will be all, _and then the cycle would repeat itself.

The brunette took a deep breath. Tonight was going to be different.

"Actually, Jeongyeon, that _ isn't _all." She bit her bottom lip and considered her next request. "Have a cup of wine with me."

The blonde blinked, taken aback immensely by her words. She thought the captain was joking, but when she looked into Mina's eyes, she only saw sincerity within them. The brunette's eyes were as deep as the ocean they were sailing across, eyes that Jeongyeon wanted to fall into.

And _ damn it, _she was going to let herself fall.

"Okay." Jeongyeon was surprised at herself. The spine that she chastised herself for not having earlier on suddenly appeared, and she gulped as the brunette slowly smiled wide.

Mina passed her by and said, "I'll go and fetch an extra cup and the bottle, you stay here."

Jeongyeon was left alone in the captain's room. She had to pinch herself.

_ 'I can't believe this is happening.' _

\--

It was some time later, when the two women had been through two whole bottles of wine that they had become a lot more tipsy.

All fear and nervousness seem to dissipate as they drunkenly talked about everything they never got the chance to talk about while sat on the edge of the captain's bed.

Sometimes a wave of sobriety would crash over the chef and she would remind herself of where she was, which scared her, yet thrilled her all the same.

Jeongyeon still had no idea of how Mina truly felt, and the only clue Mina had to Jeongyeon's feelings were what she heard the blonde say to Nayeon two nights before.

They reached the end of their last cup of wine, and Mina picked up the empty bottle and tipped out the remains, which was nothing, and the two of them laughed quite loudly at it. The brunette dropped the bottle on the floor and sighed, "This has been nice."

Jeongyeon finished the very last drop and nodded, "Yeah, this was." They looked at one another. They were in the same position again.

Mina suddenly let out, "Do you know how I feel about you?"

The alcohol in her system removed all inhibitions from what would usually be a very bold confession. One that would change everything. Jeongyeon swallowed, Mina's words sobering her up faster than she could think.

"N-No…"

The brunette bit her bottom lip, "I'm in love with you, Jeongyeon. I have been for the longest time." The drunkenness slurred her words slightly as she rested her head on the blonde's shoulder.

And now, the chef was _ completely _ sober.

She was alert and far too aware of what the captain was doing. She also couldn't believe her words.

_ 'She's probably just drunk. I need to make sure she gets to bed properly.' _

"U-Um…" the blonde didn't know how to respond. How could she respond to a drunken confession of love from her boss?

The only way Jeongyeon knew how. She took both cups and stood up, making Mina remove her head from her shoulder, and she placed the cups on the tray. She picked up the bottles and put them on the tray too. Behind her, Mina began giggling.

It was a sound Jeongyeon had never heard before, and when she turned around, all she could think of in that moment was how angelic Mina looked.

_ 'Focus, Jeongyeon.' _

It was an awkward mess of giggling, being closer than she could have ever imagined, and Mina's hand on the small of Jeongyeon's back _ way _ too many times before the brunette was in bed. _ Not _in her nightgown however. The blonde didn't want to overstep the mark.

Half tipsy, half sober, Mina watched Jeongyeon move towards the desk to pick up the tray. She bit her bottom lip, not remembering what she had said very well.

"You're leaving so soon?" the brunette inquired.

Jeongyeon turned to her, tray in hand, and said, "The moon is high, it must be late, and you need rest, ma'am."

Through all of the drinking, all of the talking, and all of the laughing, Jeongyeon had not called Mina by her name _ once. _

Despite the brunette's shocking confession that the blonde didn't know whether to believe or not due to her state, it was a standard that Jeongyeon wanted to uphold.

"I guess you're right," Mina replied, yawning. "Thank you for staying this evening, Jeongyeon. It was nice."

They shared a genuine smile as the blonde replied, "It's been a pleasure, ma'am. Rest well. Goodnight."

She bowed once again before leaving a tired Mina to drift off to sleep almost as soon as she exited the room.

Jeongyeon exhaled. The last couple of hours of her life was so hazy, but the words were very clear in her mind as she returned to the kitchen to clean up, and then retired to her room.

_ I'm in love with you, Jeongyeon. I have been for the longest time. _


	4. Perfect

The next morning when Mina awoke, she could've sworn that she dreamt having Jeongyeon stay for a cup of wine the night before. But as soon as she sat up and felt the sting in the side of her head that always came after a late night's drinking for her, no matter how much or what kind, she was reminded.

And then the details slowly came back to her.

_ 'We were drinking, talking, laughing… I put my head on her shoulder…' _

Her eyes widened immediately.

_ 'Oh my God, I told her. I told her how I feel. I confessed to her. Holy shit.' _

She rubbed her forehead vigorously to try and recall what had happened afterwards, but everything was a blurry mess of uncertainty as she found herself tucked in bed, still in yesterday's clothing.

Pulling back the duvet cover, she breathed out a chuckle and shook her head gently. _ 'What a caring woman,' _ she thought sincerely. _ 'My confession must have scared her… God, I wonder how she is.' _

\--

Jeongyeon laid on her back in bed for the best part of the morning; even when the crew members would knock on her door and shout at her to get up, she ignored them. The blonde felt terrible that she had left breakfast to Sungjin, but she felt like she couldn't move.

Everything that happened the night before _ couldn't _happen again. It was a risky move. It was going too far in her opinion. Even though Mina's eyes and words told her differently, Jeongyeon's mind was fighting it, and her heart.

_ I'm in love with you, Jeongyeon. I have been for the longest time. _

The words circulated in her mind and made her extremely dizzy, even though she was lying down. Jeongyeon tried to put it down to alcohol, and that Mina was just drunk, but she remembered the old saying.

_ A drunk mouth speaks a sober mind. _

_ 'What if she really means it? She can't, can she?' _

It really messed with the chef's head, and she criticised herself for not being honest as well, even though she knew what the consequences could be.

A tiny part of her just wanted to forget about it all. But a bigger part wanted to fall into Mina's arms.

She was ready to let herself fall. She was ready to get lost. She was ready. She was ready.

But Mina's words felt like a sixteen-tonne weight. A sudden realisation. A wake-up call.

Jeongyeon was either going to distance herself further, or push through the insecurities, the worries, the risks, and kiss Mina all over and let the captain shower her with the love that she said she felt for the blonde the night before.

She turned to lay on her side. Her head was a complete mess, but it was much less due to the alcohol as it was the pounding in the back of her head telling her to grow up and do something about it.

Jeongyeon shut her eyes and sighed.

_ 'If the captain is letting you risk it, then why won't you fall head first?' _

The blonde's eyes opened at the thought. She huffed.

It terrified her. It excited her. Everything they talked about made her fall in love with Mina more.

Her laugh, her smile, her unfiltered way of speaking when she was drunk. How funny she was, her jokes. Jeongyeon pushed herself up and rubbed her face.

She needed to eat. She needed fresh air.

And she needed to say something.

\--

Mina leaned against the mast and looked out to the ocean in front of her. It was calm, with very few waves. The salt scent emanating from the water was quite mild, a smell that was familiar to the brunette. She breathed in and it felt like home, more so than her true home ever did.

Her hat was still in her bedroom, and she had changed into other clothes that weren't her typical outfit. The brunette felt a little different, but it felt good.

She was the only person on the top deck aside from Mingyu who was steering, and she stepped forward away from the mast to the front of the ship and looked out. They were nearing the shore, and she could see the island more clearly.

Her mind wandered to and fro. She thought about Jeongyeon, how different she was when she was drunk, her flushed cheeks, her tiny smile, the way she chuckled.

Mina hadn't seen her much that day. She wasn't at breakfast, and the brunette had contemplated going to see if she was okay, but for some reason couldn't bring herself to do it. She still couldn't figure out why, and she imagined that there wasn't a real reason, apart from the nervousness of her own. Mina suddenly thought about going to see her that very minute, when a tiny cough from behind her cut her off and made her turn around.

"Hi…" Jeongyeon said when the two women came face to face. Her tone of voice was quiet, soft, and a little high-pitched.

"Hey, I was just coming to check up on you," Mina began, stepping forward, "is everything okay?"

"Well…" The word trailed off as she looked off to the side. The brunette noticed she was hiding something behind her back.

"What's that?" she questioned curiously, indicating the mysterious object.

"Oh, um, this?" the blonde said, bringing the object out from behind her back. It was an old book, not too big, the spine was almost ripped apart and the corners of some of the pages were torn off. It was bound in deep brown leather, and it seemed that it once had a lock that held it together that had since been torn off.

Jeongyeon held her diary in her trembling hands and bit her bottom lip. She couldn't believe she was doing this. It didn't seem real.

"This is...my diary." They gazed at one another, and Mina seemed shocked that the woman opposite was purposefully holding her gaze. "I would like you to read the pages where the corners have been torn off. Those are the pages you need to read."

Jeongyeon felt a new surge of confidence wash over her that she was using to its fullest potential before she cowered back into a corner and became the timid chef once again. She held out the book to the captain who immediately took it with care, holding it delicately like it was the most fragile thing she had ever touched.

"The pages with the torn off corners?" Jeongyeon nodded. "Would you like me to read it here? Or in private?"

"P-Private, in your own room, please." Jeongyeon couldn't believe the next words that were going to come out of her mouth. "If you understand the meaning of my words, you'll know where to go."

Mina swallowed as she looked back down at the diary briefly. Glancing back up, she saw the blonde had turned around and started walking away.

\--

Back in her room, Mina carefully rested the diary down on her desk and sat down on the chair. She opened to the first torn corner page and began reading.

_ 19th January, 1734 _

_ Dear Diary, _

_ I have just begun my job as a chef to the captain of a large ship. It's quite beautiful, and the kitchen is a nice space for me to work in. Not to mention, the captain is very kind, and I am very grateful that she gave me the job. _

_ I am excited to begin working here. _

  * _JY_

The brunette's eyes flickered over the page as she turned to the second one.

_ 23rd January, 1734 _

_ Dear Diary, _

_ The captain leads her crew very well. I attended my first meeting with the crew today as an official member of the team, and she seems to have a great work ethic. She's firm, but fair. _

_ My new job has been interesting to say the least. Making dinner for a relatively large group of people, there is never a dull moment. _

  * __JY__

_ 1st February, 1734 _

_ Dear Diary, _

_ I've been given a new job today, and that's delivering dinner to the captain every night. I don't know why she gave me this job, I'm fairly new, what if I do it wrong? _

_ Needless to say though, I'm thankful for this opportunity. _

  * __JY__

Mina continued reading every single diary entry that she was asked to read, and found that they all referenced her in some way. She felt a smile slowly work its way onto her face as she continued reading, but one in particular made her heart beat faster.

_ 17th April, 1734 _

_ Dear Diary, _

_ I'm in a bit of a crisis. _

_ I don't know when it happened. I don't know how. I don't know why. But I'm in love with her. _

_ I'm in love with my captain. _

_ I've fallen so head over heels that the way her brunette hair cascades down her shoulders and flows gently in the wind is enough to make my heart flutter. _

_ She keeps asking me to call her by her name, and I just can't. _

_ But God, do I want to. _

_ I'm so worried I'll soil it, ruin it, it won't sound as beautiful coming from my lips as it does in my head. _

_ She's so beautiful. And such an amazing leader. And she exudes such confidence. And elegance. And power. _

_ And I'm in love with her. _

_ But I'm just a lowly chef. No way will she ever want me. No way could she ever love me in the same way. She won't at all. _

_ I will keep my dreams of being with her as just that, dreams. _

_ Sweet dreams. _

  * __JY__

Mina saw little spots appear on the page and it took a few seconds to register that she was crying.

She wiped her eyes and pushed through more diary entries. More words that made tears fall from her eyes. More paragraphs that made her think _ no, Jeongyeon, I'm in love with you too. I dream about being with you. Let me shower you with affection. I want you too. _

She came to the last entry, the most recent one, and saw that the date was yesterday's date.

_ 20th June, 1734 _

_ Dear Diary, _

_ We drank together last night. It felt so wrong, but it felt so nice. It only felt so wrong because I kept feeling like I was overstepping a mark. But she asked me first and I took that chance. _

_ So we laughed together, had deep conversations and finished two bottles of wine. At the end of it all, she confessed to me. Or at least, I think she did. _

_ I keep telling myself that she was just drunk, and that there was no way she could feel that way about me. But they say a drunk mouth speaks a sober mind. So...are those her true feelings? _

_ I don't know for sure, and I don't know if I'll ever know. _

  * __JY__

The brunette shut the book. Her cheeks were stained with tears. She had just read the journey of someone she was in love with for five months, and by the end of it, she knew she had no other choice.

_ 'I'll make sure you do know.' _

Mina stood up from her desk and, remembering Jeongyeon's words from earlier, she went to the chef's bedroom and knocked on the door.

"C-Come in…!"

The brunette stepped in and shut the door.

"Ma'am...I know what you read was…probably a lot to take in, but--"

The blonde didn't have a chance to speak before Mina pressed a rough kiss to her lips. The brunette's hands became entangled in Jeongyeon's hair as the blonde slowly ran her hands down Mina's sides, then around her waist, pulling her closer. They didn't break apart for a single second, the kiss passionate but slow, no distance between them, the several months of uncertainty amounting to the love finally being poured into the other person like their lives depended on it. It felt good. It felt right. It felt _ like home. _

Between kisses, Jeongyeon breathed out, _ "Mina…" _

A smirk appeared on the brunette's lips, "Say that again." They kissed more.

"Mina." Jeongyeon said between kisses. They began giggling as the blonde kept repeating it, a bright smile on their faces at the fact that she was finally saying it.

"Have dinner with me tonight."

All Jeongyeon had to do was nod before they were back to kissing and pulling one another even closer.

"And do you want to know something?" The blonde pulled back and looked at Mina, anticipating. "My name sounds perfect coming from your lips."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of this very short fic!  
Thank you for reading;😊  
\- LRB ✌️


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